This forum is an un-mediated, patient-to-patient forum for questions and support regarding herpes issues such as: Herpes symptoms and treatments, causes, diagnosis, and herpes in men, tests, telling your spouse or partner.

Where to go from here?

I am 28 weeks pregnant and I received a call from my Dr. stating that my HSV IGG test came back that I tested positive for type 2 antibodies. (result was 3.43) I am shocked to say the least and I feel that this may be a false positive.
Here is the background info. I was tested 12 months ago for this with my 1st pregnancy and came up negative. My husband was tested for all STD's 8 months ago when he was discharged from the military and all were neg. We had a huge discussion after these most recent results and neither of us have been unfaithful. I know I have type one and I have had it since childhood, same with my husband. Neither of us have experienced any type 2 symptoms.

The nurse who called me said very nonchalantly that at 36 weeks the Dr. would just put me on Valtrex. I read the Valtrex website and the drug has not had full testing on pregnant women. This does not make me feel comfortable.

Should I ask the Dr. to retest? Should my husband get tested? If the 2nd test comes up high, should I request a C-section to prevent any transfer of the virus to the baby since I don't feel comfortable taking any type of non tested drug during my pregnancy? Acyclovier had been tested but only on a VERY small test group and they said further testing should be done, so is the C-section the safest choice if I choose no to take the prescription? Please enlighten me!

First off yes your hubby should get tested for herpes too. The military doesn't include herpes in its std testing so chances are good that he's never been tested for it before. If he tests negative for hsv2 then I recommend further comfirmatory testing for yourself since your hsv2 igg is still on the low side. If he tests + for hsv2 too then there's less reason to suspect that you have a false positive. There's a rather high risk of false positives for hsv2 results less than 3.5 ( some argue anything under 5 needs confirmed actually ). The problem at this point is - you are getting close to the point where you might get false negatives due to pregnancy so if you want confirmatory testing done on yourself - get your doctor to draw blood as soon as possible to send to the U of washington for a WB herpes blood test.

Yes we do have studies that show that valtrex/acyclovir are both safe for momma and baby during the last month of pregnancy. In fact we don't have a single study anywhere that shows that they aren't safe - it's just erring on the side of caution that suppressive therapy isn't officially ok for the entire pregnancy. They've actually placed all the herpes antivirals in the same pregnancy category as tylenol and one can easily argue that tylenol is far more of a risk than they are even!! Why you don't see this info on the valtrex website is because they've never went to get official FDA approval for any of this info. You'll find that the majority of drugs out there aren't tested officially on pregnant women and recommended for pregnancy. Too much potential for lawsuits so they just don't do it. In all the years that the acyclovir and valtrex and pregnancy registries were open there were no issues observed in women who took them during pregnancy.

First you need to confirm that hsv2 is even a part of this relationship. Once you confirm that then I'll gladly take the time to talk more about whether a c section is a good idea or not. If indeed you do have hsv2 then you contracted it before the 3rd trimester so you'll be passing on protective antibodies to the baby ( actually it's happening about right now - you are transmitting all sorts of protection to your baby around this week of pregnancy!!!! ). The risk of transmitting herpes to the baby at the time of delivery without an obvious lesion present is less than 1% so don't plan on a c section at this point :)

THANK YOU!!! My husband is getting tested on Monday and my Dr. is doing another test on me next week too. I will let you know what comes of the tests so you can give me more info on wether to take Valtrex and how to go about the C-section if needed. Your response was GREATLY appreciated!

The Content on this Site is presented in a summary fashion, and is intended to be used for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as medical advice or a diagnosis of any health or fitness problem, condition or disease; or a recommendation for a specific test, doctor, care provider, procedure, treatment plan, product, or course of action. Med Help International, Inc. is not a medical or healthcare provider and your use of this Site does not create a doctor / patient relationship. We disclaim all responsibility for the professional qualifications and licensing of, and services provided by, any physician or other health providers posting on or otherwise referred to on this Site and/or any Third Party Site. Never disregard the medical advice of your physician or health professional, or delay in seeking such advice, because of something you read on this Site. We offer this Site AS IS and without any warranties. By using this Site you agree to the following Terms and Conditions. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your physician or 911 immediately.